The Man and His Legacy
Monsignor Ryle was an ethical and intellectual leader in Arizona until his untimely death in December of 2005. His influence was felt not only in the Churches of Arizona but also in the centers of power in the Legislature and the Capitol. He was priest, friend, mentor, advocate, organizer, peacemaker and more to those who knew him and to the state of Arizona and its citizens.
Born in Chicago and ordained a Catholic priest serving the Diocese of Tucson in 1956, Monsignor Ryle went on to receive a string of advanced degrees. He taught at Catholic University's School of Social Service in Washington, D.C., and served as dean of Marywood University's Graduate School of Social Work in Scranton, PA. In 1969, Msgr. Ryle became the first Catholic Charities director of the new Diocese of Phoenix. He assumed leadership of the Arizona Catholic Conference in 1984, lobbying on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops for nearly two decades before retiring from that role in 2003. In honor of his retirement, Gov. Janet Napolitano proclaimed Jan. 31, 2003, "Monsignor Ed Ryle Day" in Arizona.
A tireless advocate for the voiceless, Ryle worked relentlessly on behalf of the state's poor, the mentally ill, the incarcerated, the elderly and children. He urged legislators to support KidsCare health insurance, benefits for needy families and programs for foster children. He played a key role in passage of a bill in 2001 to abolish the death penalty for the mentally retarded.
A voice of reason and a moral force, he enjoyed the respect and admiration of lawmakers, even if they didn't always vote his way. A gifted writer and public speaker, his testimony in committee hearings cut to the heart of how the proposed legislation would affect the lives of real people. Monsignor Ryle understood the role of speaking truth to power. He possessed an irreproachable authority that arises naturally from deep spiritual values and resonating social convictions. He had no enemies. He respected those who disagreed with him as good people who simply needed more time to see life clearly.
At the time of his death, Msgr. Ryle served on the boards of the Foundation for Senior Living and Catholic Social Service of Central and Northern Arizona. He also was the Spiritual Advisor to the St. Vincent de Paul Council in Phoenix, on the board of the Healthcare Institute, a member of the Bioethics Committee of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Arizona Department of Corrections and on the Arizona Agriculture Employment Relations Board.
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Monsignor Ryle, Nieces and Nephews,
National Catholic Charities,
Phoenix, AZ, 2005 |
Spirituality, Catholic Social Values and Public Life
Often, more important than the deeds of an individual are the values that shaped him. A deeply spiritual man, Monsignor Ryle applied his religious beliefs to public issues using the near universal language of social justice. His positions were consistently framed by centuries of Judaic-Christian tradition, the philosophical study of the natural law and over a century of recent Catholic social teaching.
Taking practical positions based on the intrinsic dignity and right to life of every human being, the critical importance of family and community for human development, and the gospel call to alleviate suffering and tend to the poor transcend individual theologies. His nuanced understanding of the concepts and language of social justice and his steadfast optimism allowed Monsignor Ryle to communicate joyfully with people of all faiths and with many of none.
As a born educator, Monsignor Ryle could expound eloquently on spiritual concepts such as "option for the poor", "the social mortgage", "distributive justice" and "the social gospel", or equally well explain in a flash the personal impact on the child, the family, the senior or the immigrant down the street. Opponents could disagree on specific issues, but they always knew he was speaking from conviction and with a deep values-based authenticity.
Monsignor Ryle's unrelenting themes were faith in a loving God, confidence in the good will of people of all persuasions to share ideas and come together for the common good, and finally, the inevitable power of spiritual values to raise the level of political discourse and promote enlightened public policy. In its choice of projects as well as its pursuit of them, the Ryle Fund will strive to give practical application to these compelling beliefs. |
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